Draft regulator



-INVENTOR FRA NK J. JEFFR/As ATTORNEY F. .1. 'JEFFRIES DRAFT REGULATOR Filed June 11 Patented Oct. 16, 1934 DRAFT REGULATOR Frank J. Jefi'ries, Akron,- .Ohio

Application June 1 ,"193 2,' se1 .1 N 616,651

Z Olaims. (011126-286) This invention relates to, draft regulators, and more especially itrelates to check drafts suchas commonly are used for furnaces using coal or coke asfuel.

Furnaces of the character'm'entioned usually have; a draft door in the ash pit, which, draft door and the check draft are operated in,-unison by a remotely positioned control dial, the latter .usually, being somewhere on the ground floor or upper floor of the building, the furnace being in the basement. This type of furnace requires that the check draft be closed and the draft. in the ash pit door or fire potdoor be. open during firing in order to provide draft for carrying smoke and fumes up the chimney. This position of the drafts is the reverse from that required for maximum heating or complete damping, sothat usu: ally it is necessary to adjust the control dial'beforefiring. Frequently this is overlooked and it isvthen necessaryeither to return .to the upper floor to operatethedial; or to fire the furnace withthe draftsimproperly set and thereby to permit smoke andfumes to belchfrom theopen fire door and to permeate the entire basement'and sometimes the upper floors. a The chief objectsqof this invention are -,to provide an improved. draft regulator that permits the checktdraft to be closed independently of the usual control dial; to permit closing of the check draft atthe furnace; and to provideisuch a check draft that may be easily and quickly restored to normaloperating arrangement after being closed independently of the usual control .mechanism. Further objects include the saving of time and wasted effort in the operation of furnaces; increased convenience; and obviating the smudging of furniture and woodwork by smoke and fumes emitted during the firing of the furnace.

Of the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a furnace embodying the improvedv draft regulator, in its preferred form;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the improved draft regulator in its normal operating positions; and

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 2 showing how the draft regulator operates independently of the normal control mechanism.

Referring to the drawing, is a furnace, 11 is a smoke pipe extending to the usual chimney (not shown), 12 is a flue extending from the top of the fire pot to the smoke pipe 11, and 13 is the usual down draft flue that connects with the flue 12 within the furnace casing and extends to the smoke pipe 11 somewhat below the flue,12.' -The furnace is provided Withthe usual fire..door;14.and ash .door 15, the latter being formedwith an; intake draft opening 16 that is controlledoby ta draft door 17 hinged upon the ashdoor15. Thefluex12 has the usual damper (not shown): operatively positioned therein, said damper being. provided, exteriorlyjof said flue, with an operating handle 18, and thelatteris connected to one end of a chain or other flexible member 19, that extendsover suitable sheaves $5 20, 20 and has its other end provided with a counterweight .21 that is conveniently positioned for manual-operation at the front of the furnace. Mountedin the smoke pipe 11 between flues 12, 13 be check draft pipe 23, and mounted in the latter is-theimproved. draft regulator or check draft; generally designated 25, by means of which air isadmitted to the smoke pipe 11-to check the draft through the furnace. j 1 Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3 of; the drawing, the check draftjcomprises a tubular framejorcollar 26 that is removably mounted in the check draftpipe 23 by screws 27,27 OIthQ'IiKB. The outer endof the collar 26 oblique orinclined as shown, and on the U top thereof ,is formed with a pair of suitable ears, such asthe ear 28, that are spaced apart to re-' ceive a hinge pin 29. ,Pivotally mounted upon the hinge pin 29 are -two1plates 30, 31 respectively, of which the under plate at least is-of the proper size and shape completely to close thegoblique opening in -the end .ofthecollar 2 6, thusconstituting a draft lid,

,Adjacent its free side the draft lid 30is-formed with a slot; 33 through which extends an arcuate latch member 34, the latter being pivotally mounted at one end upon a, suitable bracket 35 that is mounted upon the under side of the draft lid. The latch 34 also extends through a slot 36 formed in the superposed plate 31, and a latch- .95 ing lug 37 is formed along the lower edge of the slot 36 in position to cooperate with a notch 38 formed in the lower edge of the latch 34 for the purpose of releasably latching together the draft lid 30 and plate 31 so that they may be raised and/or lowered as a unit. A removable stud or pin 39 may be mounted in the free end of the latch 34, and project on both sides of the latter to prevent accidental removal of the latch from; the slot 36.

Control mechanism for the check draft comprises a remotely located control dial 41 of the usual manually operated type, from which dial extends a chain 42 that is connected to an operating arm 1'7 on the intake draft door 17, for z-ljlo opening or closing the latter. Another chain 43 extending from the dial 41 is connected to the check draft 25 by means of a bracket 44 mounted upon the plate 31. The arrangement is such that rotation of the control dial 41 concurrently operates the intake draft door 17 and check draft 25, to close one of them and to open the other.

In the operation of the furnace, the proper position of the drafts during firing is that shown in Figure 1 which provides a draftthrough the furnace to carry off fumes and smoke. However, for maximum heating efiiciency the position of the drafts is reversed, the intake draft door being closed and the check draft being in openposition as is indicated in broken lines in Figure 2. If the operator forgets to throw thefc'ontrol' dial to the position shown in Figure 1 and upon arriving at the furnace finds the check draft open,

he has only to lift the latch 34, which releases the notch 38 thereof from engagement with the lug 37, thereby permitting the draft lid 30 to drop to the position shown in Figure 3 to close the check draft; The furnacemay then be fired in the usual manner since the opening of the fire pot door 14 will provide the draft necessary to carry the smoke and fumes to the chimney. The draft lid 30 and plate 31 may be latched together again either by raising the draft lid or by turning the control dial to lower the plate 31 to the position shown in full lines in Figure 2. Y 1

The invention is of simple construction, easy operation, and is easily mounted in furnaces of standard construction. It makes for cleanly operation and accomplishes the other objects set out in the foregoing statement of objects.

Modification-may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimedis: I f

1. A check-draft regulator for furnaces comprising a flue pipe having a check draft opening, a tubular frame having its inner end mountedon the flue pipe and surrounding the opening, a pair of superposed plates hinged to'the outer-open end of said frame member, at least one of said plates being adapted to close the outer end of said frame member, quickly releasable means for connecting one of said plates to the other whereby the lower plate issupported by the upper plate in the open position of the regulator, and operating means for moving said plates as aunit when soconnected.

2. A check draft regulator forfurnaces havin a flue pipe formed with a check draft opening, said regulator comprising a tubular frame havposed plates on the outer open end of said frame member, operating means connected to the uppermost of said plates, and quickly releasable means connecting the lower plate to the upper plate whereby said lower plate is suspended from the upper plate in the open position of the regulator.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the quickly releasable means consists of latching mechanism that operates automatically to connect the plates to each other when said plates are brought together.

4. A check draft regulator for furnaces having a flue pipe formed with a check draft opening, said regulator comprising a tubular frame having its inner end mounted on the flue pipe surrounding the opening therein, a pair of hingedly mounted plates onthe outer open end of said frame over the opening thereof, quickly releasable latching means operating automatically to connect one of said plates to the other when said plates are brought together, and means for moving said plates as a unit when so latched together to open or close the opening in said frame member.

5. A check draft regulator for furnaces having a flue pipe formed with a check draft opening, said regulator comprising a tubular frame having its inner end mounted on the flue pipe surrounding the opening therein, a pair of superposed plates 105 hingedly mounted on the outer open end of said frame member and adapted to move by gravity to cover the opening thereof, operating means con nected to the upper plate for raising and lowering the same, and quickly releasable latching 110 means operating automatically to connect the plates to-each other when said plates are brought together, so that they may be operated as a unit.

6. A check draft regulator for furnaces having a flue pipe formed with a check draft opening, 1.15 said regulator comprising a tubular frame having its inner end mounted on the flue pipe'surrounding said opening, a pair of superposed plates hingedly mounted upon the outer open end of said frame so as to move by gravity to cover the opening thereof, an operating cable connected to the upperplate, and a pivotally mounted latch member on the lower plate that extends through a slot in the upper plate. 1. c

.;7. 'A combination as defined in claim 6 in which the latch member is pivotally mounted upon the under side of the lower plate and extends'through a slot in said lower plate. 1 I

.1. dEFFRIESi 

